re was dited, wald nott contempt the
same in the myddis of thair calamities.

The Thrid parte, conteynyng the lamentable complaynt, he entreated in
Stryveling, in presence of my Lord Duik, and of the hole Counsall. In
the expositioun whairof, he declaired, Whairfoir God somtymes suffered
his chosin flock to be exponed to mockage, to dangearis, and to
appeiring destructioun; to witt, that thei may feill the vehemencye of
Godis indignatioun; that thei may knaw how litill strenth is in thair
selfis; that thei may leave a testimony to the generationis following,
alsweill of the malice of the Devill against Goddis people, as of the
mervaillouse werk of God, in preserving his litill flock by far other
meanes then man can espye. In explanyng these wordis, "How long shall
thow be angree, O Lord, against the prayer of thy people?" he declaired,
How dolorouse and fearfull it was to feght against that tentatioun, that
God turned away his face from our prayaris; for that was nothing ellis
then to comprehend and conceave God to be armed to our destructioun:
whiche temptatioun no flesche can abyd nor owercome, onless the mychtie
Spreit of God interpone the self suddanelie.

The example he gave, the impatience of Saule, when God wald nott hear
his prayaris. The difference betuix the elect and reprobate in that
temptatioun, he planelie declaired to be, that the elect, susteaned by
the secreat power of Goddis Spreit, did still call upoun God, albeit
that he appeared to contempt thair prayaris; whiche, (said he,) is the
sacrifice most acceptable to God, and is in a maner evin to feght with
God, and to ovircum him, as Jacob did in warsling with his Angell. Butt
the reprobat, (said he,) being denyed of thair requeastis at Godis hand,
do eather cease to pray, and altogitther contempt God, who straitlie
commandeth us to call upoun him in the day of adversitie; or ellis thei
seik at the Devill that whiche thei see thei can nott obteane by God.

In the Secound parte he declared, how hard it was to this corrupt nature
of ouris not to rejose and putt confidence in the self, when God geveth
victorye; and thairfoir how necessare it was that man by afflictioun
should be brocht to the knawledge of his awin infirmitie, least that,
puffed up with vane confidence, he maik ane idoll of his awin strenth,
as did King Nabuchadnezzar. He did gravelie disput upoun the nature of
the blynd warld, whiche, in all ages, hath insolentlie rejosed when God
did cha